The Sudden Stop
by melissa341
Summary: Alexis deals with her cancer, her daughter, and her husband, while receiving unlikely support from a few unexpected people.
1. Chapter 1

I started writing this on August 27, 2006, after Sic slept together, before Alexis' surgery. It's a very short fic, and if I would have continued it, would have been a Sexis fic, but once again, the show stopped me in my tracks. If I ever get time, I'll write a sequel.

The Sudden Stop

Chapter One

"Luke Spencer."

"Natasha Cassadine, and youngin's.'"

Luke bent down to greet baby Molly in her stroller and poke Kristina's belly who was standing close to her mother. Luke had been back in Port Charles for a few days already and needed immediate advice from his sister.

"What brings you to General Hospital, Luke?"

"Well," Luke responded, watching Kristina push Molly's stroller over to the children's waiting area, "... my son's a drug addict and my daughter's pregnant. I came to beg Bobbie for advice. You?"

"Well," she began as she looked over making sure Kristina wasn't listening, "I have lung cancer and my husband cheated on me _once again_. This time with my daughter." She smiled.

Luke just gaped at her, "Natasha …" he seemed concerned, and then went back to his Lukeness. "You win." He smiled, for only a moment. "Cancer?"

She nodded.

"How does it look?"

"Well, it shows up white on the x-rays …"

"Come on, enough joking, I'm serious, how does it look?"

Alexis felt a strange sense of comfort at that moment, as if she knew that she could trust this man. "They say it's a seventy-thirty chance I won't make it."

Luke dropped his head. "My God … is there anything I can do?"

She smiled, "Just … I don't know, keep me laughing when I start the chemo."

"That I can do."

"Is Lucky okay?"

"I think, I guess I shouldn't have told you, considering you're the D.A."

"I'm not, my husband is."

"He took it over? Wait, he's still your husband?!"

"Oh, yeah, sure, come on Luke, you know me … sticking with the one's who hurt me."

Luke shook his head in disappointment. "How could you forgive him?"

"Oh, I haven't … honestly, he doesn't know I know. Neither does Sam … actually, you and Dr. Winters are the only people who know I know. Hmm."

"Oooh, oooh, can I tell him … please, please, please …"

She smiled. "Cute, there's your sister, and NO!!" she said, motioning to Bobbie who was walking towards them.

Luke looked over, smiled at Bobbie, and then turned his attention back to his friend. "I'm here. I might be busy with my own children Natasha, but I'll always make time for you, you hear me?" he said sternly.

"Yes sir." She smiled sadly and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before he joined Bobbie.

Alexis moved over to the couch in the waiting area and watched Kristina entertain Molly for a while. She was unaware of anyone else in the hospital, until she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Is this seat taken?" asked the Aussie.

"No it isn't!! Jasper Jacks! You little …" he quickly came around to the other side of the couch and sat beside her, pulling her into his tight embrace.

"Hello wife."

Alexis pulled back happily and gazed into his eyes. "Hello husband."

"Uncle Jax!!" yelled Kristina when her attention was brought back over to the adults. She ran into his arms and squeezed him tight.

"Hey you! Oh, I wish I'd know I would run into my favorite two little girls here, I would've brought the presents I brought you in Africa."

"Africa!?" exclaimed and questioned Kristina.

"Yes, Africa, I'll take you there one day." Jax smiled.

"Oh, no you won't," Alexis interrupted.

Kristina quickly lost interest and ran back to Molly.

"What are you doing here?" Jax asked.

"Um … well, I guess you should know too …"

Jax looked concerned at Alexis, whose face changed drastically when she looked over his shoulder and saw Carly stepping off the elevator. "Oh, Jesus, yeah, I guess you being back means that she's back."

Jax looked over his shoulder and saw Carly. He smiled at her as she approached them. "Be nice, Alexis."

"It's not me you have to tell that to. My children are here, she should be decent …"

"Alexis."

"Carly."

"Hi, honey." Carly leaned in and gave Jax a long kiss. It took all Alexis' strength not to throw up. "Let's go," Carly demanded.

"Wait, I …" she was pulling him away. "Carly, stop! I was talking to Alexis. Hold on." He left her there and re-joined 'his' girls. Carly was going back for him when Sonny stopped her from behind, grabbing her arm lightly turning her around.

"Hey, Sonny."

"Welcome back. Where are the boys?"

"Um …" she had to think. "With Leticia?"

"Okay, Carly, that's a person, where … as in place … where are they?"

"I'm not exactly sure, either at your place, my place, or Jax's…" she turned to look at Jax and Alexis just in time to see him envelop her into his arms, too close for Carly's liking. She started to walk over and break up the happy reunion, clearly missing Alexis' tears, when Sonny grabbed her arm again.

"Hey, no, stop."

Carly looked back at Sonny, bewildered. "Why? What?"

"Alexis has cancer. I'm sure she just told him … leave them alone for a minute."

Carly stood stunned … her mouth wide open. Sonny walked past her and leaned against the nurses' station, waiting for his turn to talk to Alexis.

"No, no … no, Alexis, this can't be happening …"

Alexis released Jax and looked up into his baby blue eyes and just smiled sadly.

Jax wiped the tears off his cheeks and sucked in a huge breath, regaining his strength that he lost for a moment, "Okay, so, what are we going to do?"

Alexis smiled. "Well, I'm having surgery at the end of the week, and then chemo … then … we'll see."

Jax nodded. "Ric knows, and Sam … Nikolas, they're all helping you?"

"Yes."

"And they won't care if I'm by your side every second?"

"Will Carly care?"

"Yes."

Alexis laughed and looked over to Carly, seeing Sonny as well.

"Listen, call me or I'll call you tomorrow, go, be with Carly …" she whispered the next part, "break up with her."

"Alexis …"

"I know, I know …I'm not in it …thank God!"

"Okay, listen to me now." He took her head in his hands. "You need anything, a shoulder to cry on …"

"I'll call you …"

"... someone to make you laugh …"

"I'll call Luke …"

Jax smirked. "A loving, devoted husband who adores you …"

"That'll be you again …" she smiled.

"... someone to let all your frustrations out on …"

"I'll call you …"

"... someone to hit, kick, punch, slap …"

"I'll call … Carly?"

Jax just smiled, kissed her on the lips, and walked over to Carly, who oddly enough, smiled politely in Alexis' direction before being led onto the elevator.

Alexis' gaze drifted over to Sonny, who was watching her. She looked back at the girls who were happily playing with their toys, then walked over to Sonny and leaned against the nurses' station beside him. Both parents looking at the girls, crossing their arms, smiling. Alexis was tired. She'd had a long, tough day and she was ready to crawl into her bed and fall asleep. Not even thinking, her head found its way onto Sonny's shoulder. They stood there for a while, watching Kristina read Molly a book, making the funny voices that Alexis taught her to make … her head on his shoulder.

"You okay Lex?"

"I'm fine," she answered, not moving. "Just tired."

"You're going to get through this."

She slightly nodded, hoping he would feel it - she didn't feel like speaking anymore. Tears came to her eyes and dropped as she continued to look on to her girls.

"I talked to Dr. Drake, he said this surgery's gonna hurt. You're going to be in a lot of pain … then after that, the chemo's going to drain you …"

"Why are you saying these things?" she questioned sadly.

"Because I don't want there to be any bull between us - look at me ..." Sonny said, lifting her head off his shoulder with his right hand … he kept it under her chin as he spoke. "Alexis, this thing isn't going to take you from us, okay? You're not going to stop fighting. This surgery and the chemo, it's not going to kill you." Alexis nodded, the tears falling fast. "It's not the fall that kills you, Alexis, it's the sudden stop. So don't stop, Alexis. Don't you dare give up … not on yourself, or Sam, or Kristina, or Molly. You have too much to live for, too many people who need you, yes, including me, and I'll be damned if I'll let you stop."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"How are you?" Robin asked as she walked in the room to check on her patient.

"Um … well ..." Alexis was in the hospital gown sitting on the side of the bed. "I'm going to snap next time someone asks me that."

"That's what I'm here for …" chimed in Lainey, who walked in after Robin.

Alexis smiled at the two women.

"I know it's scary, but you have me and Patrick, Epiphany and Bobbie are the attending nurses …"

"Good ..." Alexis replied nervously.

Robin nodded. "Where … um … where is your husband? Your daughter? Nikolas?"

"I'm right here," Nikolas interrupted, walking in with a supporting smile on his face.

"Okay, Patrick and I will be in in a few minutes to prep you." Robin took Alexis' hand in hers. "The surgery will go fine."

Alexis nodded and wiped the tears off of her cheeks with the back of her other hand.

After Robin left, Lainey walked past Nikolas towards Alexis. "We need to talk privately one more time before you go into surgery. Would you like to do it now, or after you and Nikolas talk?"

Alexis looked up to Nikolas. "Well, I'd like to be happy when they roll me in, so, no offense Lainey, but I'd like to talk to Nikolas after …"

Lainey smiled. "Okay, no problem."

Nikolas politely excused himself after giving Alexis a kiss on the forehead and Lainey pulled up a chair.

"Talk to me."

Alexis let out a sigh of frustration, anxiety, sadness. "I've been more frightened before. Not during the epidemic, or the times I've been trapped in elevators, or even the car wrecks … but when Kristina was born premature, when she was sick, when she was kidnapped, when Molly was born, when Sam was sick, when I thought Nikolas had died, when my mother was murdered, after my sister died, after my brother died … my God Lainey, this is a piece of cake."

Lainey smiled. "You've been through a lot."

"But none of that was about me, really. It was other people dying, being sick … other people I thought I'd never see again, or that I won't see again. I'm just, not used to thinking that I'm the one this is happening to. I'm the one who won't keep living …"

Lainey was silent for a moment.

Alexis wiped the tears away again and continued, "I'm just so frustrated. My husband is working, which I told him to do … I mean, we've been through a hard time this last month or two, and then he slept with … with my daughter, and I just … I'm sick of it. I don't want to see him. I don't want him to lie to me and tell me that he loves me. I don't want him to touch me, kiss me, comfort me … I want him to stay away, but, I know he'll try to be here before the surgery … and … I just don't want that. And Sam … she's been so supportive, so helpful through this all and I can't help but think that she's … I don't know, doing it to make up for what she did."

"But she doesn't know that you know."

"No, she doesn't, or at least I don't think so. But in her head, maybe if she's good to me now, there for me, that when I do find out, I'll still love her … which is ridiculous because I'll always love her. I mean, I think she's self-destructive and wrong for … well, a lot of things, but Lainey, I do love her. I've loved her her whole life … but, I also hate her. She's got her entire life ahead of her and she's pining over a man who could get her killed, who could get her loved ones hurt by just standing next to them and I'm so … so sick of talking about Sam and Jason!!" Alexis started crying. "What do I do? Do I tell her that I don't care if she gets back with him? I mean, she needs someone to support her through this whole mess, but, I don't want her … hurt, Lainey … I can't … I can't go through this thing with her being with him. Why? Why is this so hard for me to give up?"

"Because of all the people that you've lost. Your mother, your sister, your brother…"

"Chloe, Cameron, Za…Zander…"

Lainey nodded. "You're tired of people dying around you."

Alexis looked away. "I'm just tired of being the one alive."

Jax walked in, hearing Alexis' confession. "What!?"

Alexis jerked her head to Jax and couldn't control her sobbing. He ran to her and took her in his arms. He looked over to Lainey angrily and turned his attentions back to Alexis. "I don't EVER want to hear you say that again!" He pulled back and forced her to look at him; she still sobbing. "You will live, you will not give in on this. You're strong, you know that! I … I can't believe you … how could you say that?"

Alexis shook her head, not able to speak.

"Jax, we were in the middle …"

"No, I want you to leave … NOW! How could you come in here and upset her like this?! Get out!"

Lainey stood up and Alexis finally spoke. "No! Lainey, stay. Jax, I'm sorry, I was just … I was talking … I didn't mean it."

"Yes you did."

"Fine!" She was getting angry. "Fine, Jax, yes, I'm sick of this! I'm sick of not being in CONTROL of this thing, or my own LIFE for that matter! I'm sick of living in a world where my BEST FRIEND never talks to me, unless a crisis comes up, where my daughter Kristina has a father who's in the mafia, where my nephew has to deal with his psychotic grandmother constantly, where everyone in this town thinks I'm crazy because I want my children to live SAFE and normal lives. I'm sick of living in a world where I can't scream out to everyone in this God-forsaken town that my daughter Molly's father slept with her SISTER!"

They heard a gasp at the door and looked over to see Sam, Nikolas, and Sonny standing perfectly still.

Alexis' eyes met Sam's. She didn't fell sorry. She was glad she said it. It was finally out. The two women stared at each other for the longest moment, no expressions on either face, just pure shock.

Alexis looked away to the floor. "Now you all know that I know. Can I get this stuff out of me now?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Can someone please go get Sam and make sure she's okay?" Alexis asked her silent crowd after a moment. Sam ran off without saying a word and no one followed.

"Hello?!"

Nikolas looked to Sonny, who looked to Lainey, who looked to Jax.

"Alexis?" Sonny said, walking in further.

"Lainey, would you please go find her?" she said, ignoring Sonny.

"Yes, of course." Lainey left.

Jax couldn't move. His hands were where they were before she let them all know what had happened, in hers. He was in shock. How could Sam do this?

"Alexis?"

"YES JAX? YES SONNY? NIKOLAS, DO YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN?"

"No, I'm good, I'll, um … I'll just stand here for a minute." He was pissed. If he saw Ric Lansing or Sam McC … Dav … Cass … whatever her last name was, he didn't know what he was going to do. No one does this to his aunt. He had a seat where Lainey was sitting and just watched Alexis.

Jax ran his hand through her hair, meanwhile coaxing her back onto the bed. "Honey, what the hell is going on?"

"Ric and Sam slept together, Jax. You're not too quick …" insulted Sonny.

Alexis interrupted him, "Sonny, shut up. You knew? I know you knew, I saw your file."

"You stole my file?"

"Yes of course. Chalk it up to my insanity once again. You didn't tell me. Because of your loyalty to Sam? Ha. That's nice."

"Okay, listen, Jax, Nikolas, may I have a minute with Alexis?"

They both shook their heads no and then looked to the door when they saw the fourth visitor walk in.

"Hey. I got here as soon as I could," Ric said, casually walking in. "How are you feeling?"

Alexis laughed. She hadn't laughed in a very long time. She couldn't stop herself. She laughed long and hard, at Ric, at the other three men just looking at her. She stopped laughing when the coughing took over. These were worse than before. Sonny ran to the bed, offering her some water, Jax grabbed Alexis' inhaler, and Nikolas lunged toward Ric, throwing him up against the wall. Alexis tried to stop them, but she was coughing too hard.

"I … can't … Nikolas, stop … I …stop." But he wouldn't. He punched Ric in the stomach without saying a word. Ric didn't fight back. He slumped to the floor and after the third kick to his stomach, he yelped out for Nikolas to stop.

"Get … out," was all Nikolas could say after he stopped.

"Wha … what's going on?" Ric questioned.

Alexis' coughing subsided and after she calmed down a little, she looked sadly over to Ric.

Sonny had sat down on the bed beside Alexis, holding the glass of water, Jax on the other side with the inhaler, and Nikolas walked over, standing as close to her as he could.

"Alexis? Talk to me."

"You heard him, Ric. Please leave," Alexis said, maintaining eye contact.

He shook his head. He wasn't leaving without a fight … well, one where he fought back.

"What's going on?"

"I KNOW," Alexis said firmly. "I've known for a while. I thought it would be best to just not tell you or my daughter, but … it actually feels good. I know … so … you can stop pretending now. Leave me alone." She looked down to the floor again.

"Ale.."

Sonny and Jax stood up. "Did you not hear her?" Jax asked.

"I …"

"Ric …" Sonny warned.

Ric walked over to the door, holding his stomach. "Alexis …"

She looked at him. He had never seen her that hurt.

"I swear to God little brother, if you don't leave right now, I'll kill you." Sonny had to say it. He was getting angrier at how stupid his brother had been acting with every second that passed.

"Okay, I'm leaving … the room …I 'll be in the waiting room, Alexis. If you need anything …"

Jax finally got fed up and walked toward Ric, "Look around you, mate. She has all she needs. Bye."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Nikolas, I can't believe you did that," Alexis scolded after Ric walked out.

"I can. Good job man," complemented Sonny.

"Shut up Sonny. No, talk. Talk to me … Sonny, you have some explaining to do. Jax, Nikolas, do you mind giving us a minute?"

"Um, sure," Jax responded, running his hand though her hair.

"Alexis?" Nikolas asked, like a little boy.

"Yes, honey?"

He walked over to her and sat beside her, "You can't go into surgery like this."

"I know."

"I'm going to talk to Robin to see if they can do it tomorrow."

Alexis nodded and took his hand. "Okay. I think … I think that's a good idea. I need to talk to Sam."

Nikolas looked down at her for another minute and left to find Robin.

Sonny paced the room. "Alexis."

"Who else knows?"

"Jason. Ric came straight to my house after ... after I left you, Kristina, and Molly. I wish you had told me then that you saw it."

Alexis let out a hateful laugh. "What would you have done? Said? You would've kept defending Ric? Taking up for Sam?"

"I wasn't defending Ric to you that night. I was …" he walked closer to her on the bed and hesitated before he sat down. He stared at her hands. He took them in his and moved his eyes to meet hers. "I was telling you about yourself. You don't always let the people closest to you know what you want. What you're feeling."

"I didn't tell Ric that I was sick, so that justifies him sleeping with my daughter?"

"No! Alexis, stop acting like a child!"

"Oh my God, me like a child, you idiot …"

Sonny smiled as she pulled her hands away, but he wouldn't let go. "Okay, look. Stop. Just lay back … take a minute and breathe, you're getting upset."

Alexis did as she was told and continued to look in his eyes.

"We need to talk," she finally said.

Sonny nodded, knowing that they had to talk about more than just Ric and Sam … and even more than Kristina and Alexis' sickness.

"Three years of hating each other …"

Alexis nodded. "I'm not sorry for keeping Kristina from you," she said bluntly.

"I know."

She looked scared. "You hurt me, Alexis. And I hurt you, over and over, but we can't go into this right now, you know that," Sonny explained.

"I know."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Ric and Sam. I wasn't hiding it for Sam's sake. You were sick. You needed to focus on getting better."

She nodded once more, finally looking away. After a few moments, he saw the tears forming in her dark eyes. He squeezed her hands. "You're going to beat this."

The tears fell. "I'm scared."

"You aren't alone. I'm scared too. Alexis, I might have been angry at you for a long time now, but I don't … I don't know what I'd do without you being there, keeping me … keeping me here … in the moment … you help me Alexis, to live better, to be a better … daddy to our little girl … a better person." Sonny was crying now. "Please, Alexis, you have to beat this …"

She pulled him to her. She couldn't take watching him break down. She leaned up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, bringing him down with her. When she did, he started crying even harder. He couldn't live without this woman. His arms moved behind her, holding her tight. He was almost laying on top of her and he was afraid he would hurt her, so he pulled up, but she wouldn't let go. She wouldn't let up.

"Sonny," she whispered in his ear, "I miss you. I miss my best friend."

He squeezed her tighter, "I'm right here," he whispered back.

This is the scene that Sam and Lainey walked in on. They stood silently watching as Alexis looked at them. Sonny composed himself and sat up, allowing Alexis to wipe his tears off his face.

"I'll be in the waiting room," he said softly.

"Don't hurt Ric." She smiled.

"I'll try not to." He stood up and walked out, avoiding Lainey and Sam's eyes.

Lainey nodded to Alexis and walked out, closing the door.

Sam stood. It was obvious that she had been crying hard. Alexis knew this conversation would be difficult for the both of them, so she started.

"Sam. I … I'm sorry you had to find out like that that I knew."

Sam shook her head. "You shouldn't say you're sorry for anything. This is all my fault," she barely whispered.

Alexis just stared at her. "Come sit." She motioned to the bed … and Sam did as she was told.

After a moment of looking down at the floor, Sam looked over to Alexis, who hadn't taken her eyes off of her. "I'm sorry. I know that's … not enough …"

"That's enough Sam. I know you're sorry. I know why you did it."

Sam let the tears fall. "I was mad at you, I was missing Jason, I was drunk, but none of that makes it okay. He was …"

"My husband. I know. Sam, we don't have to talk about the details. I really don't want to hear them right now … or ever … look, all that matters is that it's done … it's out in the open and everything is still moving on. I … Sam …" Alexis wanted Sam's eyes on hers for this. "Look at me."

Sam looked.

"I love you, Sam."

Sam closed her eyes and the tears kept falling. She hated herself.

"Why? How could you LOVE ME?!" she yelled and stood up, walking over to the window. "How could you?! After what I did to you? Your family!?"

"Your family. Sam! You're forgetting that this is your family too."

"I know, and I screwed up … big time!! I broke both of my little sister's worlds apart!!"

"Sam, come here."

"No! I don't deserve this! I don't deserve to be forgiven by you."

"Well, too bad … come here … NOW!"

Sam didn't move. She tried to block her out … she wanted to run. She turned to walk toward the bed and mind her mother, but her mother was there, standing behind her.

Alexis took Sam's face in her hands. "You deserve to be loved. I don't mean by Jason, or any other guy … by me. By your family. We need to have a very long conversation about what that … woman did to you Sam … but for right now, you have to, hey!" Alexis noticed that Sam was looking away. "Hey! Look at me!"

Sam complied, looking up into her mother's eyes … there were tears.

"You hurt me more than I've ever been hurt before. When I came to the hospital that night … after I saw … I cried … but I have never cried that hard before."

Sam just looked, her eyes were stinging.

"No one has EVER hurt me that much, Sam. Do you know what that means? No one has ever, EVER made me cry that hard. Not Stefan, Ned, Sonny, Ric … I didn't even cry that hard when my sister died. You. You made me hurt. I wasn't crying over Ric! I was crying over you. Do you understand?"

Sam didn't. She didn't understand why Alexis could forgive her if she had hurt more than ever before. She had to shake her head no.

Alexis looked amazed through her tears. "You really don't get it? Sam, I've never been that upset because I love you more than I loved ANY OF THEM!" she screamed. "I LOVE YOU!"

Sam was sobbing. Alexis pulled her into her arms and didn't let go, even when Sam pulled away. "No, Sam, you're not leaving … I'm not letting you go … fight all you want. Hit me, push me, scream at me, you are GOING to accept this."

After struggling a bit more, Sam calmed down and finally wrapped her arms around her mother. She held her tight, as if it were the last time she would ever hug her.

Alexis let her go and cradled Sam's face in her hands. "You are loved Sam. You will be loved by me, and Kristina, and Molly … forever … do you get that? There is nothing that you could ever do to stop that. You're going to get over this self-destructiveness if it kills me." She smiled, but Sam didn't. _'if it kills me' _played over and over in Sam's mind.

The two women stood there, Alexis in her hospital gown, Sam with her tears … and they nodded in agreement … it was time to start over.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Um … hi, if I don't come in here soon, I'm going to hurt Ric, and … well, I don't want to leave yet."

Alexis and Sam looked over to Sonny and laughed.

Sam looked back over to her mother. "I'll um … I'll leave you two alone."

"Hey," Alexis called out as Sam walked away.

Sam looked back.

"Go on home to Molly and Kristina. I'm not going to have the surgery today. Come by tomorrow, um … please, just, tell them again that I'll be home in a few days and I love them."

Sam nodded.

"And I love you … too, Sam."

Sam looked down, then back up with a huge smile on her face. "I love you." And she left.

"Wow. That was … wow." Sonny was at a loss for words.

"Yeah … that's my daughter." She smiled as she crawled back into the bed. "What's Ric doing?"

"Breathing."

"Sonny."

"I hate him."

"You shouldn't hate him Sonny. He's your brother."

"But you're …" He stopped himself. "Okay, look, can we not talk about Ric?"

"Gladly. What do you want to talk about?"

He sat down beside her in the chair. "Well, um …" he laughed. "Jason just told me that Liz is pregnant."

Alexis' eyes widened. "Wow, that's great … um? Good for her …"

"It might be Jason's."

Alexis let out a gasp. "Oh my God, does Sam know? Is she about to find out?? I have to go …"

"No, Alexis." Sonny stopped her from getting up. "No, they … they aren't going to tell her or Lucky until they know the truth."

"Oh … my God, Sonny? When did they?"

"That night that you and Jason saw …"

"Jason saw?"

"Yeah."

"Aw, no, I tried to stop him from seeing them. I told him that Sam wasn't there. I didn't …"

"Why do you tell him that? I mean, that was the perfect opportunity for Jason and Sam to break up for good. Why didn't you rub it in his face?"

Alexis looked disgusted. "I don't do that, Sonny. What the hell? I wouldn't do that to Sam … I knew she was making a mistake, and yes, I would love for them not to ever be together again … no, wait, I would love for him to get out of the mob … YOU too, but I would never … Sonny? I'm not Carly."

Sonny's lips curled up. "No … you're not."

"So Jason and Liz. Wow."

"Yeah, it … it turns out that Lucky was having an affair."

"Oh my God. Luke - he told me that Lucky was addicted to pain pills. I didn't realize that things were that bad. I need to talk to Nikolas - I mean, his brother, his little sister's pregnant, I'm … dying."

"You are NOT dying!"

"Okay, okay, Sonny, okay, I'm … sick. Anyway, Jason and Liz had the right idea at least." She tried to joke to lighten up the conversation a bit. "I should have found someone to sleep with."

"You were with me."

"Oh yeah," she remembered. "Ha! I wouldn't want to sleep with you … it might ruin our friendship."

Sonny let out a laugh and looked down. "Funny."

"I thought so."

"We need to talk about that night that we slept together."

"We really don't," she answered, moving back in the bed uncomfortably.

"No, I think we do."

She sighed. "You mean the night that … I was… just some sex you had? You know, I'm all talked out, Sonny, can we postpone this …"

"No."

One more sigh. "If I start coughing uncontrollably, can we …"

"No." He wasn't giving up.

"Okay, look, I kept your daughter away from you, you hated me …"

"I never hated you."

She looked at him, not believing it, but she continued. "I kept your daughter away from you, you disliked me immensely …" She looked to him for permission to go on … he gave it to her.

"We fought, we screamed, we threatened, we forgave, we're good."

Sonny nodded, smiling at her dismissal of the entire situation. "I meant that night. That night only."

Alexis felt her heart speed up. "Why would you want to talk about that night?"

He suddenly became nervous. "Because that night … changed my life."

She stared at him. He stared at her. Nothing else was said.

"Hey." A voice came from the doorway, but neither one heard it. Sonny and Alexis were lost to the world. If only for a second, they were the only ones there.

"Hellooooo?"

Alexis broke contact first, looking toward the door to see Carly. "Oh … wonderful."

Sonny looked over … then back to Alexis. Did he just feel … no … he buried those feelings long ago.

"Okay, well, I'm going to … um … go find Jason. Carly …" he greeted as he walked past her.

Alexis watched Sonny go, then fixed her eyes on her mortal enemy.

"Carly, what do you want?"

"I um … was wondering if we could talk …"

"If you're here to tell me that my husband cheated on me with my daughter, too late … unfortunately for you, I already know."

"No, I wasn't here for that, um … you know?"

Alexis was confused. What could she possible want? "Yeah, I was there that night and saw them … I'm sorry, Carly, what do you want?"

"I just, can I come in?"

"Well, I guess so, I'm still curious as to why on earth you would want to."

"I feel bad."

"For?"

"What I said to you."

"Which time?"

Carly smiled. "Yeah. I know. I was meaning that time at your house."

"When you barged in and said that … um … my children would be better off after I was dead?"

Carly looked down. "Yes. That was …"

"Inhumane, uh … cruel for no reason …"

"I was going to say wrong and completely distasteful."

"Since when do you care about your level of taste?" Alexis immediately felt sorry for blurting that out. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

"No, I … I deserve that. I just …"

"Apology accepted Carly, it's okay … you didn't know."

"But you did. And it hurt you, I could tell."

"Carly, why are you here? I said apology accepted."

"I had a long conversation with Jax. He's really upset. This whole cancer thing, he's … he's not taking it well. He loves you …"

"I know. And I love him … very much. But, I'm going to get through this …"

"You have to," Carly said, walking closer to Alexis' bed. "You have to survive this, Alexis, for your kids, for Jax, Nikolas, for me …"

"You?" Now Alexis was smiling.

Carly smiled down at her and took her hand. She didn't know why she did it, but it was too late to stop. "I can't imagine my life without having you to yell at, complain about, dislike …" she laughed.

Alexis looked quickly from her eyes to their hands in disbelief. Carly gave her hand a slight squeeze and let go as quickly as she took it. She backed up and started to walk out, turning as she reached the doorway.

"I still hate you though." Carly nodded and smiled.

Alexis laughed. "Yeah, you too." And she was gone.

"My God," Alexis whispered to herself. "I knew I should have brought my tape recorder."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Alexis tried not to be mad when she saw the three people in front of her who used to be her world. Two of them still were her world…

"Hey babies!!" Alexis said with a huge grin. Kristina ran to her mother's side and jumped on to the bed.

Ric walked up with Molly hanging off his arms reaching for her. Alexis flashed back to first seeing Molly in the hospital after the train wreck. Then, she felt worse, but she was so very much happier. Ric placed Molly in her mother's arms and she immediately went for Alexis' hair. The baby loved sitting for hours holding on to Alexis' hair, wrapping it around her tiny fingers.

"We miss you Mommy and you've only been here for a day."

"Oh, I know sweetie, I miss you so much, but Mommy has to stay here to get better … are you being good for … Sam and Viola?"

"Of course." Kristina was smiling ear to ear. Alexis kissed Molly's face a hundred times and proceeded to do the same with Kristina. Ric sat down across the room and watched his family that he knew he'd lost. Alexis knew that he'd brought the girls to earn some points with her, and she was glad.

After a while of talking about swimming, kindergarten, Kristina's new favorite song, and when Alexis would come home, Molly yawned in Alexis' arms, laying her head softly on her mothers chest, hands still wrapped in her hair.

"My sleepy head." She looked over to Ric and he took the hint, coming over to scoop Molly up in his arms to take them back home. Kristina cried. Ric walked out with Molly for a moment, giving them some time, but not before taking a long look at Alexis. His eyes said everything to her. He was sorry, so very sorry, and he deserved to be. When Alexis got out of here, she would make sure that he would regret everything, but for now, she was grateful that he brought her girls to her. Alexis tried her hardest with Kristina to sound positive and not break down, and she didn't until they left. She sat there minutes after, head in hands, knees pulled up to her chest under the hospital blanket, sobbing silently.

"Alexis?" Robin said softly, walking in.

Alexis looked up embarrassed for being caught. "Hey, Robin, I'm sorry …"

"Oh, don't be sorry. I just saw the girls leave. I know you're upset, but you're going to be okay."

"Everyone keeps saying that." Robin sat down in the chair beside the bed, placing her chart on the nightstand. "But no one knows. I mean, I've been through so much in my life; what if this is the last straw? What if I only get nine lives and this is the tenth?"

Robin wasn't sure what to say. She knew that Alexis would be strong and fight this, but she also knew that Alexis was right. She might actually die.

"Then just be happy that your girls have people who love them. They'll be okay without you Alexis. I know it's hard to think that way, but they will survive, and grow to be independent, strong women, like you."

"Like you." Alexis looked at the young doctor, thinking of her past. "You thought that your parents had died when you were very young?"

Robin nodded. "And I'm a doctor, I'm happy, and I'm fairly sane."

Alexis laughed.

"That's still under discussion," Patrick joked as he walked in.

Robin looked shocked over to him and rolled her eyes back to Alexis … men.

"So I die, my girls will be taken care of."

Robin quit smiling and nodded. "You won't die though Alexis. Not today. Not on our watch."

Alexis sighed a sigh of relief, but she still wasn't one hundred percent sure.

"Thank you guys … I mean, I know this is your job, but you two have been really … nice … and, I just … thank you." Alexis said through her tears. Patrick and Robin stood together by the bed and smiled, looking down on Alexis.

"Okay, let's do this thang," Patrick said with a funny accent and the ladies smiled at him. As Alexis rolled out, she was greeted by everyone. They looked like elementary school kids lined up in the hallway for the water fountain. Sam first. Leaning down to kiss her mother on the forehead, she whispered, "I love you." Then came Carly and Luke, who simply nodded and offered their smiles. Then Jax, who had obviously been crying.

"Love ya, wife."

"Love you, husband." Alexis breathed in a heavy breath.

Nikolas was next, leaning down to kiss her hand … he couldn't say anything, but she knew …

Then Sonny, finally, who surprised Alexis when he made the gurney stop and leaned in to kiss Alexis on the cheek for a long moment. He moved close to her ear and whispered, "Breathe."

He pulled back, but stayed close enough for Alexis to whisper, "It's not the fall that kills you."

He responded, shaking his head, "No, it's not." He smiled, and Alexis moved on.

--

The End


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